‘S.W.A.T.' star Jay Harrington reacts to spinoff exclusion: Not on ‘my bingo card'
Jay Harrington is laying down the law.
After starring as Sergeant David 'Deacon' Kay on 'S.W.A.T.' for eight seasons from 2017 to 2025, the show's series finale aired Friday, May 16.
It was then announced on May 18 that a spinoff, 'S.W.A.T. Exiles,' was in the works with only 'S.W.A.T.' star Shemar Moore reprising his role of Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson.
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9 David Lim, Shemar Moore, Anna Enger Ritch, Rochelle Aytes, Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit attend CBS' Fall Schedule Celebration at Paramount Studios on May 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
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The CBS action series followed a Los Angeles Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) team as they faced off against crime in Los Angeles, Calif. It also starred Lina Esco, Kenny Johnson, Alex Russell, David Lim and Patrick St. Esprit.
During a recent interview with TVLine, Harrington, 53, was asked if he was privy to any talks about a spinoff while filming the finale season.
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9 Jay Harrington in 'S.W.A.T.'
CBS via Getty Images
'No. No. Not once,' the actor replied, adding that even while shooting the last episode, he still was unaware of any spinoff plans.
'Because of the way things had happened over the years with ['S.W.A.T.'] being cancelled, coming back, I had the thought, 'OK, we could come back,'' Harrington recalled. 'There's a chance, you never say die, especially with the streaming world and such. My choices in my head were that, or it's over. I did not have a spinoff on my bingo card, for sure.'
Harrington shared that Moore, 55, contacted him privately before news of the spinoff broke.
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'Shemar reached out to all of us to say, 'This is what's going on…, and, you know, there's talk that they'll reach out to us about stuff,'' he explained. 'He wanted to be the one to tell us and say, 'Your reps will find out shortly.' That's when I told my reps, and they had no idea.'
9 The CBS hit action drama 'S.W.A.T.'
CBS via Getty Images
'I texted him later and said, 'I'm sure you did your best,'' Harrington revealed. 'We've been brothers for years, so that doesn't change.'
After being in the entertainment industry for so long, the 'Octopus 2000' vet said while he is aware that he isn't 'owed' anything, he does wish things were handled better.
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'It's just a fine line between 'owed' and 'just let me know,' for the studio just to say, 'Hey, this is what we're thinking…. It's a new idea, but this is the route we gotta go, and unfortunately, the way it's structured, we want to make a clean break, start fresh.' Well, what do you say to that? 'OK, well, good luck!''
9 Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington attend the opening ceremony of the 58th Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 15, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
FilmMagic
'So if there was any disappointment, it's that when they announced it, we weren't mentioned at all,' Harrington expressed. 'That was it. And it was short-lived because I thought, 'I'm not going to let that take away from what I know in my heart is eight years of putting in some great work.''
The 'Better off Ted' alum did confess that, of course, as a 'human being,' he felt 'stung' by the news.
'I didn't want to go to that place,' Harrington continued, 'because I thought, truthfully, 'It's show business.' It's a business.'
However, the 'Benched' actor isn't discounting coming back to 'S.W.A.T. Exiles' if asked.
9 Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington on 'S.W.A.T.'
CBS
'You know, you never say never, you never close any doors,' Harrington offered. 'I'd be interested to see if that's the direction they go, and, 'How do they do that?' That would certainly play a part. I've also had a great time directing over the years, and I'll be open to that possibility if that call [to direct] comes as well. You never say never.'
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After news of the spinoff broke, Lim, 41, who played Officer Tan, released a statement saying that the news of 'S.W.A.T. Exiles' did 'sting.'
'Being a part of S.W.A.T. for the past 8 seasons has been one of the great honors of my life,' he wrote. 'I poured my heart into playing Tan — and even more than that, into the team and friendships we built on and off screen.'
9 Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington in the hit CBS show 'S.W.A.T.'
CBS via Getty Images
'I'd be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn't sting,' Lim admitted. 'It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one. After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could've been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.'
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Despite the hurt, the actor is proud of what they built over eight years.
'No version of this story can take that away,' he added. 'Thanks for riding with us. Always. Roll SWAT. 🖤.'
9 Jay Harrington in 'S.W.A.T.'
CBS via Getty Images
'S.W.A.T' was originally a revival of the 1970s cop drama of the same name.
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It was then canceled in 2023 before, due to fan demand, it was picked up again for what was supposed to be a final Season 7. It was then revived for Season 8 in 2024.
In March, the network pulled the plug on the series for good.
9 Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington attend the opening ceremony of the 58th Monte Carlo TV Festival.
FilmMagic
'S.W.A.T. season eight, here we are, three weeks away from the finale we are canceled again,' Moore told followers in an Instagram video at the time. 'It sucks, it's sad. I had to give a speech today on set to the crew. And obviously I'm biased, the most amazing crew in Hollywood. Just good people, no jerks. People who show up, sacrifice here and there for their families, and work their tails off to make 'S.W.A.T.''
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'Uncancelled, twice, two years in a row. Now I don't know my history, but how many shows get to say that? I'm gonna say none or I'm gonna say that we're close to one of the none,' the star added. 'But we did that, we did that. We are so proud.'
9 Jay Harrington attends the 'Forever' premiere presented by Terry McMillan at DGA Theater Complex on August 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Getty Images for Lifetime
Moore admitted that he doesn't think canceling them was the right move.
'We made a hit television show that the world loved to watch,' he shared. 'So, I say to CBS, if you're done, I know it's about money, optics, politics, I don't think you're making the right choice.'
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